动产为移动后仍不改变性质、损害经济效用及经济价值的物，于大多数国家并未以法律条文清楚枚举，多认为不动产及定着物以外之物即属动产，如英国、日本、台湾及中国等，而法国民法采枚举方式定义动产，法律上能支配控制的各种自然力、与土地分离后的花草、果实也属动产，如电脑、台车等均属之。

动产物权可为所有权、质权、留置权、动产抵押权的标的物。

一般动产于移转时多不须登记，仅交付即完成移转。而价值较高，交易上习惯以较慎重方式为之的动产，称为准不动产，于所有权移转、租赁、抵押等情况多须登记，如：船舶、民用航空器等属准不动产。

Personal property is generally considered property that is movable, as opposed to real property or real estate. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables – any property that can be moved from one location to another. This term is in distinction with immovable property or immovables, such as land and buildings. Movable property on land, for example, larger livestock, was not automatically sold with the land. In contrast, wildlife and smaller livestock like chickens were often sold as part of the land. In fact the word cattle is the Old Norman variant of Old French chatel (derived from Latin capitalis, “of the head”), which was once synonymous with general movable personal property.